Women candidates win primary battles across state

Two of the biggest victories in the Pennsylvania primaries came in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, where two newcomers toppled members of a prominent political family.

Perhaps more notable, both winners were women.

Sara Innamorato beat out Dom Costa, a former Pittsburgh police chief and state representative of District 21 since 2009, and Summer Lee declared victory over his cousin, Paul Costa, who has represented the 34th District since 1999.

Both women say collaboration helped their campaigns, helped get them win primaries and hope they will now help them as first-timers in Harrisburg.

“It was just out in the universe that this is the time that we can do this,” Lee said. “Honestly, it was a perfect storm of people who were resisting our current administration, people who were already organizing.”

Lee told Channel 11 she had a kind of sisterhood with other female candidates, especially Innamorato.

“2018 is the year of the woman,” Innamorato said. “We’re seeing a lot of women who decided to not wait their turn and say, ‘I have something to say, I have something to advocate for and I’m a voice for my community.’”

Democratic voters across the state voted for female candidates in yesterday’s primary, many of them who now have clear paths to the state House of Representatives, a group that’s currently all male. Also, seven women were nominated for U.S. House seats across the state, as well.

“I’m excited for a new wave of younger lawmakers to start solving some problems that we have,” said voter Dan Herold.

Both Innamorato and Lee said they will bring new ideas and perspective to the job and there’s a great energy right now among the female candidates.

“All the female candidates’ messaging was really there and I think resonated with a diversity of people,” said voter Dora Walmsley.